Japanese Emperor Akihito is saluted as he arrives at the Ottawa International Airport in Ottawa for an extended visit to Canada. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko arrived in Ottawa Friday afternoon for an official visit to Canada.

Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda welcomed Akihito as he disembarked from his plane Friday afternoon.

Akihito, 75, has not been to Canada since 1953, when he was the heir to the throne, but is making up for lost time with an extended visit that will include stops in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria. He will meet with Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean and the prime minister.

The royal couple will also visit Hawaii on the second leg of their North American tour.

The official reason for the visit is to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of Canada-Japan diplomatic relations.

But the visit will have special meaning for the 300,000 Canadians of Japanese ancestry who have never had a chance to see the royal couple in person.

Oda, who was born in Canada but is of Japanese origin, noted that Canada's relationship with Japanese Canadians experienced "a hiccup" during the Second World War, when residents of Japanese ancestry were rounded up and placed in internment camps.

Although she was born in Thunder Bay, Ont., Oda admitted it was a "very special" moment for her but not as special as it will be for her mother when she gets to meet the emperor in the next few days.

"In fact, she's home watching," Oda said. "She's very excited. You can appreciate for that generation — she's 86 —they still have that respect for the emperor and empress."

Akihito reportedly lives a quiet, simple life. He rises at 6:30 each morning, watches the news and then goes for a walk with the empress around the closed Imperial Palace in downtown Tokyo. Afternoons are filled by official business.

In his spare time, he works on his biological studies and has become a world expert on the humble goby fish, having published 38 peer-reviewed papers on the subject.

Evenings are filled with official receptions and banquets, after which the couple are said to enjoy watching nature programs on television.